GAA and soccer club in dispute

[pete]

The group argues that the sportsfield was originally handed over to the general community by the Spring Walker family in 1936, had always been a community field and had merely been placed in the trust of the GAA. They point to carnivals, community fairs, sheep shearing, dog shows, tennis and basketball events held in the sportsfield to support their claim.


I would guess this is very common across the country.

The more this happens the more the GAA will lose in the long run.

Re: Croke Park. When the FAI & IRFU leave GAA revenue will drop 12m the next full year. They can't even get FAS conferences in Croke Park any more either.

[Jinxy]

I would guess this is very common across the country.

The more this happens the more the GAA will lose in the long run.

Re: Croke Park. When the FAI & IRFU leave GAA revenue will drop 12m the next full year. They can't even get FAS conferences in Croke Park any more either.

It was only ever going to be a temporary revenue stream so I'm not sure why people are making this out to be some sort of disaster. I think the association will manage to avoid financial ruin for a few years yet. The outstanding debt on the stadium will be completely paid off pretty soon. At this point a lesser man than me would no doubt draw your attention to the FAI and their sterling efforts to finance the redeveloped LR. But that's not my style. ;)

[Sheridan]

The first act of the new government should be to nationalise Croke Park, put the naming rights out to tender, freeze all grants to the GAA and instigate an immediate and wide-ranging tribunal into the links between government and funding of the organisation over the past twenty years.

[dcfcsteve]

Do you think the GAA actually understand the concept of Irish citizenship?

Personally I think a lot of the social-economic problems and waste in the public sector in this country are caused by GAA jersey-ism. In that the GAA has created a certain psychology in parts of Ireland were the population do not see themselves as Irish at all, but rather citizens of their GAA county colours.

This is why you get headcase stuff like airports in Knock and railway lines opening in the middle of nowhere while Dublin still has neither a Metro nor and Underground DART line.

It's all rooted in the GAA county-colourisms. The very ethos of the organisation is a declaration of war on National citizenship and National identity.

You're starting to lose the plot here a bit BSG.

Ireland is far too centralised a country as it is, without lumping even more in Dublin than the rest of the country.

[WexCar]

Do you think the GAA actually understand the concept of Irish citizenship?

Personally I think a lot of the social-economic problems and waste in the public sector in this country are caused by GAA jersey-ism. In that the GAA has created a certain psychology in parts of Ireland were the population do not see themselves as Irish at all, but rather citizens of their GAA county colours.

This is why you get headcase stuff like airports in Knock and railway lines opening in the middle of nowhere while Dublin still has neither a Metro nor and Underground DART line.

It's all rooted in the GAA county-colourisms. The very ethos of the organisation is a declaration of war on National citizenship and National identity.

????????????:confused:

[Jinxy]

UUJ is one of the gah strongholds in the country. Hardly objective in fairness.

I think its a bit unfair to label him as a gah man just because he's from UUJ.
Look at his list of publications.
There is more soccer than GAA research.

[Big Chief]

It is interesting to note the number of people on here branding the G.A.A. "bigots" and then proceeding to spew unrelenting bile about the Association.

As an avid Finn Harps fan and a playing member of the G.A.A. in Tyrone I have a foot in both camps so to speak. Rather than continually attacking the G.A.A., I believe domestic football could learn a lot from the way that the G.A.A. involve people in the game from a very young age and instill a sense of pride and commitment in them towards the organisation and its games.

Some of the comments to the effect that the G.A.A. put little or no effort into the youth and children are absolute nonsense. In Tyrone youngsters receive regular coaching both in primary schools and their clubs from the age of 6 or 7 years old.

Accordingly my advice would be, rather than berate the G.A.A. perhaps domestic soccer could learn a lot from it!

[dcfcsteve]

It is interesting to note the number of people on here branding the G.A.A. "bigots" and then proceeding to spew unrelenting bile about the Association.

As an avid Finn Harps fan and a playing member of the G.A.A. in Tyrone I have a foot in both camps so to speak. Rather than continually attacking the G.A.A., I believe domestic football could learn a lot from the way that the G.A.A. involve people in the game from a very young age and instill a sense of pride and commitment in them towards the organisation and its games.

Some of the comments to the effect that the G.A.A. put little or no effort into the youth and children are absolute nonsense. In Tyrone youngsters receive regular coaching both in primary schools and their clubs from the age of 6 or 7 years old.

Accordingly my advice would be, rather than berate the G.A.A. perhaps domestic soccer could learn a lot from it!

I think most fair-minded people on here would agree with you that there is a lot to learn from the GAA.

However - the GAA isn't being attacked here for no reason. Instead - it's because sections within that organisation are stuck in the 19th Century and actively do their best to prevent the spread and growth of 'soccer' in Ireland. Even going to extreme measures such as ploughing-up a football pitch in the middle of the night, or going through court to try to undermine the Tallaght stadium.

There is no requisite attempt by supporters or administrators in Irish soccer to undermine the GAA - the effort is all one-sided here. Hence the bile that is directed their way.

Whilst soccer does indeed have much to learn from the GAA, the GAA also has much to learn from the civilised world in terms of copping itself the fcuk on and not thinking it, the church and DeValera run the country any more. When that happens, I suspect you'll find the flow of bile strangely dries up.

:ball: (a size 5 ball, for the record).

[Lionel Ritchie]

Nice speech bc. Completely sidestepped the topic mind but still...

Accordingly my advice would be, rather than berate the G.A.A. perhaps domestic soccer could learn a lot from it!

Learn from it? Like how to plough a field at night? I suppose Mick Wallace might loan some portable floodlights ...but I dunno if he'd have a tractor or a plough.

[osarusan]

It is interesting to note the number of people on here branding the G.A.A. "bigots" and then proceeding to spew unrelenting bile about the Association.

Accordingly my advice would be, rather than berate the G.A.A. perhaps domestic soccer could learn a lot from it!Agreed on both parts I've quoted.


I think most fair-minded people on here would agree with you that there is a lot to learn from the GAA.
Agreed again.


But, as DCFC Steve says -


However - the GAA isn't being attacked here for no reason. Instead - it's because sections within that organisation are stuck in the 19th Century and actively do their best to prevent the spread and growth of 'soccer' in Ireland. Even going to extreme measures such as ploughing-up a football pitch in the middle of the night, or going through court to try to undermine the Tallaght stadium.


There are a few posters on here who are ready to defend the GAA, and they do a pretty good job of showing over-the-top comments as being over the top.

But, like the posts of Big Chief and Jinxy above, they often sidestep the main topic of the thread - which is in this case the ploughing of a pitch to stop it being used for "soccer" games. I'd hope that the two posters I have mentioned, as well as commending the GAA for their efforts in general, would give us their opinions of the main point of the thread. Do they feel it was wrong? Childish? Or do they support the action?

[Magicme]

It is true there is a lot to learn from them but maybe they have somethings to learn to.

As I have said time and again in life and in football when you stop learning from others its time to pull the plug.

[Jinxy]

Agreed on both parts I've quoted.


Agreed again.


But, as DCFC Steve says -


There are a few posters on here who are ready to defend the GAA, and they do a pretty good job of showing over-the-top comments as being over the top.

But, like the posts of Big Chief and Jinxy above, they often sidestep the main topic of the thread - which is in this case the ploughing of a pitch to stop it being used for "soccer" games. I'd hope that the two posters I have mentioned, as well as commending the GAA for their efforts in general, would give us their opinions of the main point of the thread. Do they feel it was wrong? Childish? Or do they support the action?

Of course I don't support it and without knowing the full details it would appear on the surface to be an extremely childish act.
However, I would remind people that this happened in Kerry where the spirit of the Bull McCabe is alive and well.
Just be glad no donkeys were killed.
Or Yanks for that matter.
No offence to any Kerry animals that may post here.;)

[drummerboy]

On liveline now

[Jinxy]

But, like the posts of Big Chief and Jinxy above, they often sidestep the main topic of the thread - which is in this case the ploughing of a pitch to stop it being used for "soccer" games.

Well what usually happens in this situation is that certain folk will latch onto the main topic and expand it to fit their own agenda so that before long you have posters saying the GAA are doomed, the financial outlook is bleak etc. This sounds like a pretty unique situation and I get the impression there is a territorial element involved as the PRO of the soccer team referred to GAA members coming into "their" village to sell lotto tickets. Like I said before, this is Kerry. Ploughing up the pitch is still ridiculous behaviour regardless.

[Lionel Ritchie]

Just listening to it....

Very sad, in this day and age, to hear the attitude of of one girl who only sounded like she was in her twenties, who was of the opinion the soccer club should be put out of there.

A contributor who plays for C'Maine (football) and Keel (Gah) stated without any challenge from the PRO of the Milltown-C'maine GAA club that the land was left "to the community" by the Spring-Walkers -not to the GAA per se.

It appears the GAA are basing their ownership claim on possession of the deeds which have been passed amongst members of the GAA club down the years in trust.

If they want to play that game then the soccer club should return the serve with a claim of adverse possession (squatters rights) on the basis they've been using and maintaining it unchallenged for three decades.

[chopper harris]

I'd like to help them out financially (a contribution) if they decide to go down the legal route. Really take the GAH to task on this. It'd scandelous that soccer camps have had to be moved / cancelled.

[Big Chief]

Agreed on both parts I've quoted.


Agreed again.


But, as DCFC Steve says -


There are a few posters on here who are ready to defend the GAA, and they do a pretty good job of showing over-the-top comments as being over the top.

But, like the posts of Big Chief and Jinxy above, they often sidestep the main topic of the thread - which is in this case the ploughing of a pitch to stop it being used for "soccer" games. I'd hope that the two posters I have mentioned, as well as commending the GAA for their efforts in general, would give us their opinions of the main point of the thread. Do they feel it was wrong? Childish? Or do they support the action?

To suggest that both Jinxy and I were alone in sidestepping the "main" topic in this thread would be simply wrong. Long before I contributed to this thread there were numerous posters who sidetracked from the issue towards having a general pop at the G.A.A..

If the G.A.A. club has engaged in such behaviour for a purely vexatious purpose then their actions are regrettable. I do however suspect that this is based on a simmering dispute between the two clubs and I suspect that neither are whiter than white in this situation.

Perhaps if these clubs based their playing pool on local players sourced only within their parish or town it would create a greater sense of loyalty and this may ultimately filter its way upwards and lead to increased interest in and indeed support for the domestic league.

[Jinxy]

Having listened to Liveline it seems it's a bit more complicated than a soccer v GAA spat.

[culloty82]

Can't imagine this is going to be settled anytime soon, 100 Castlemaine people were protesting outside the Kerry-Galway match on Sunday, which is massive for a small rural area. Like most Kerry people, I follow all sports, and I hasten to add that the actions taken by the GAA were completely unrepresentative, after all it was largely due to the Kerry GAA that the soccer team got the use of Croke Park, but you'll always get a few who haven't left the Stone Age yet. I imagine the only long-term solution is for the GAA to compensate Castlemaine United and the community groups for the loss of the field and/or assisting them in redeveloping at another site, it does no good to have families and neighbours at each other's throats.

[dcfcsteve]

after all it was largely due to the Kerry GAA that the soccer team got the use of Croke Park,

Did those other 32 counties not get a say then.....?!? :confused:

You sure you're not from Cork with that county-importance complex......:D

;)

[MariborKev]

Did those other 32 counties not get a say then.....?!? :confused:

You sure you're not from Cork with that county-importance complex......:D

;)

I assume he is referring to the fact that Sean Kelly was the President of the GAA at the time.

[peadar1987]

What's the 33rd county? London? New York?

(Not sarcastic, just wondering was that a mistake, or do one of the overseas teams in the all-Ireland have a vote)

[gspain]

What's the 33rd county? London? New York?

(Not sarcastic, just wondering was that a mistake, or do one of the overseas teams in the all-Ireland have a vote)

It was probably a mistake above but those organisations did get votes. Indeed it was quite sickening that the likes of Warwickshire who have used football (and possibly rugby) grounds voted against opening Croke Park.

24 of the 26 countie sin the Republic of Ireland carried the vote (Cork and Monaghan against). Northern Ireland voted 100% against.

[culloty82]

You sure you're not from Cork with that county-importance complex......:D

Didn't mean to sound too parochial, just when you see that a story's gone national, you want people all round the country to have a better idea of what the situation on the ground's really like. As well as junior soccer really taking off since Italia 90, basketball and rugby are also growing, so the idea of things being like The Field is fairly daft.